By Rob Fortier – Images by Tim Sutton
Sometimes, it takes a couple attempts to achieve a goal. We’ve all encountered obstacles, hiccups, what have you, in the course of our lives, whether it’s relationships or, as most of us are all too familiar with, bumpy roads with truck builds … more specifically, the people and/or shops we enlist to help achieve the goal of getting to the finish line.
It was back in 2015 that Rick Bryce’s adventure with his then-to-be daily driver ’72 GMC 1/2-ton began. Purchased as an in-progress project, the Fleetside was in the middle of quite a bit of sheetmetal repair, which the Mesa, Arizona, farmer sought out assistance to wrap up before moving onto the body and paint stage, followed by another shop for final assembly. Normally, it’s “paint jail” where projects get held up, but for Bryce, he and the GMC made it through that with flying colors, no pun intended—it was that last stop where things, well, literally came to a stop.
Enter Big 10 Garage—literally. In 2021, Jason Bowman and his crew in Gilbert, Arizona, took the reins and ran with it, buttoning up Rick’s GMC, getting it roadworthy by 2023. However, with its stout, 800hp supercharged 454 LSX, the chassis that was beneath the ’72 proved itself unworthy, ultimately twisting and subsequently breaking parts under load. Back to the drawing board.
Rick eventually acquired a coilover chassis from GSI for Big 10 to swap out—but it wouldn’t be simply a straightforward swap for Bowman’s crew. To clear the new rear section, including the relocated (outboard) four-link, the bed floor needed to be raised 5 inches, which required all that fresh, color-matched custom bedliner to be carefully removed! In the process of modifying the inner box (without disrupting the factory lines!), storage boxes were built beneath the floor, a unique, one-off fuel door was created, the tailgate now functions like a brand-new Chevy, and once all was said and done, the box interior bodyworked and painted in perfect DBLMNT fashion (all current body and paint by Squeeg’s Kustoms and GK Kustoms). Custom-coated American Racing VF556 CHS (the company’s “reinterpretation of the VN427 Shelby Cobra design”) accent the two-tone exterior wrapped in Nitto Invo 30-series rubber with 14-inch Wilwood Aerolite calipers nestled behind.
Of course, that aforementioned LSX, with its custom GMC coil covers, Wegner front drive, and modified-intake Magnuson TVS 2650 blower, features a handful of Big 10 custom touches, from the air box lid to the plumbing, with a set of Hart Fab carbon-fiber inner wheeltubs nicely tucking the whole package into the bay. Exhaust is full 3-inch oval stainless with MagnaFlow mufflers and Ultimate headers; transmission is a 4L80E from Gearstar.
Before DBMNT’s do-over was complete and Rick was back on the road—for good—Big 10 modernized the interior, starting with a gamut of Dakota Digital controls —from fuel pressure monitoring and boost/vacuum control to auto headlights —all centered on their impressive RTX instrument system. Additionally, a full complement of JL Audio components with a Custom Autosound head unit were added, as well as Vintage Air, and heating/cooling options for the Slosh Buckets seats. Brian Cline Interiors finished everything off in brown Apex Leather hides (with matching square-weave carpet), including the Budnik steering wheel coated to blend with the Ididit tilt C10 column.
From “nice daily driver” to “corner-carving head-turner,” Big 10 definitely steered Rick in the right direction with his GMC!
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